Module 1 – Topic 1
WHAT IS FORENSIC
PSYCHOLOGY?
1010CCJ Introduction to Forensic Psychology
Module1_Topic1_ForensicPsychology.pptx
What is Forensic Psychology?
 Psychology:
◦ The science of human
- Thought (Cognition);
- Emotion (Affect); and
- Behaviour
 Forensic: means ‘of the courts’
 Literal interpretation: ‘psychology of the courts’
What is Forensic Psychology
 Criminal psychology
◦ Relates to the psychology of criminal behaviour as well as
the social context in which it occurs.
 Forensic psychology is broader than criminal psychology.
It relates to:
◦ Criminal law
◦ Civil law
◦ Family law
What is Forensic Psychology?
cont’d
◦ “the production and application of psychological
knowledge to the civil and criminal justice systems”
(Bartol & Bartol, 1999, p. 3, italics in original)
◦ “providing psychological services in the justice or
legislative systems, developing a specialised
knowledge of legal issues as they affect the practice
of psychology, and conducting research on legal
questions involving psychological processes” (Hess,
1999, p. 36).
What is Forensic Psychology?
cont’d
 2 major approaches to defining Forensic Psychology:
◦ Narrow; vs
◦ Broad
 1. Narrow
◦ The application and practice of psychology in the legal
system, particularly the courts
 2. Broad
◦ Covers a wider application of psychology to legal
matters
ResearcherPractitioners
“ground the discipline in
social reality through the
use of empirical research”
(Howitt, 2009, p.7)
Major components of Forensic
Psychology
 Police psychology
 Recruitment
 stress
 Investigative psychology
 profiling
 Geographical profiling
 Clinical psychology
 Assessment
 prediction
 Prison psychology
 treatment
 Parole/release
APPLIED
 Biological psychology
 Criminal inheritance
 Effects of injury
 Developmental psychology
 aggression
 delinquency
 Cognitive psychology
 Eyewitness testimony
 interviewing
 Social psychology
 Juries
 Media influences
ACADEMIC